• Beneath the Bamboo: A Vietnam War Story

  • By: Stan Taylor
  • Narrated by: Michael Driggs
  • Length: 4 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (49 ratings)

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Beneath the Bamboo: A Vietnam War Story  By  cover art

Beneath the Bamboo: A Vietnam War Story

By: Stan Taylor
Narrated by: Michael Driggs
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Publisher's summary

Excerpt: I watched two point men take 50-caliber machine gun bullets to the head and watched the third being grabbed and taken behind enemy lines. Two of the enemy soldiers, whom we often referred to as gooks, quickly came after me. As I mowed them down with my automatic rifle, I crawled backward, away from the enemy gunfire, using my helmet to push sand in front of me as I went, which made it possible to look behind me. But as I looked back, I realized my safety net was no longer safe. I saw my entire company falling like dominoes. Medics were running left and right, risking their lives to help others with bravery that even the most amazing soldier couldn't hope to match.

Some of the events I witnessed during that moment were beyond comprehension. I watched a young, courageous black medic take an 81-millimeter round to his head, and his whole body instantly turned to smoke. Nineteen- and 20-year-olds were crying like children but fighting like someone had raped their sisters. So many things were going through my head at that moment, and in one single heartbeat I was overwhelmed with a flashback of my entire life. This is the story, from point A to B, of my life and times in the midst of hell on Earth.

©2014 Jonathon Jones (P)2015 Jonathon Jones

What listeners say about Beneath the Bamboo: A Vietnam War Story

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent memoir and the human experience, war, and the lessons one can take from it.

This memoir is a bit different. It reads sort of like a coming of age tale. The author is very introspective and chooses to acknowledge the positive farm more than the negative. He was also very brave, almost to the point of foolhardiness. However once you listen to it, you hear how he comes to explain it and his lesson from wartime are things that everyone can relate to and should try their best to incorporate into their lives.

Something also in this book is the author’s intense trips in to the tunnels beneath Vietnam. One thing I’ve learned from reading Ospreys book on VC tunnels is that they are insanely complex and to go down into them was basically assuring your own death. However he did it quite a few times, and always as a volunteer.

In all this book really strikes the image of an almost careless kid coming of age and telling us about it from his tender years as a way of recognizing how blessed he realizes he was and wanting us all to appreciate our lives more.

It’s different, but it short, and if you like war memoirs I would recommend it. The action is there, albeit others do it better and it’s a little generic but the best parts of this book aren’t the tunnel tales or the hot LZs, it’s the authors point of view and introspection that give this book its value.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

How the Vietnam War turned a boy into a man.

BENEATH THE BAMBOO: A Vietnam War Story

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

~ I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

"This is the story, from point A to B, of my life and times in the midst of hell on Earth."

This audiobook was written by the author late in life and published by his son, Jonathan. When Stan returned from Vietnam, he chose to not speak of or even think of, his experiences during the Vietnam War. In fact, he was so adamant in his avoidance of the topic that he even avoided all movies and books on the subject.

Because of this, BENEATH THE BAMBOO may have some flaws. The author is not a historian nor is he a professional writer. He is just an average guy who survived some not-so-average experiences after fighting in the Vietnam War.

I actually found this audiobook fascinating. I liked the fact that it was not the story of some famous battle or told by a famous soldier. Because it was told by a regular guy and not a career soldier, I found that I could more easily relate to the story.

The narrator, Michael Driggs has the perfect voice for this story. In fact, his narration is so convincing that I had to check to see if he was also the author. His pacing is terrific and he is a master of inflection. He seems to instinctively know when to speed up and when to slow down as well as which words need to be emphasized. I give the narration 5 out of 5 Stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read some of the other reviews of this book and saw that some negative comments were made regarding inconsistencies with what other Vietnam War veterans experienced. I have to point out that this book was written by Stan Jones' son and not by Stan himself. It is for that reason that I am fully willing to forgive and forget about these errors. Any memoir, especially one written by a non-professional writer will contain "errors". We must also take into account that people's memories are fallible at the best of times and it is to be expected that a memoir written about events that took place around 50 years ago will not be completely accurate.

The story is about how the Vietnam War turned a boy into a man in a very short amount of time.

I think this is an important story and one that needs to be told and retold so that no one ever forgets about the Vietnam War and the soldiers who fought and died during it.

I rate this audiobook as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Intriguing documentation of events of war

If you could sum up Beneath the Bamboo: A Vietnam War Story in three words, what would they be?

personal informative scary

What other book might you compare Beneath the Bamboo: A Vietnam War Story to and why?

None I have never read a first person account of war before.

Which character – as performed by Michael Driggs – was your favorite?

Mr. Jones himself

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did actually...it was such a personal exploration into Jones's life...about the abuse he endured growing up and being bullied...about the atrocities and terrors of war. I was glued to my computer and did not get up for the entire time the narration was on. Mr. Driggs did an excellent job talking in different personalities.

Any additional comments?

The way the book was written I could almost feel the terror as the soldier went into the tunnels. And the love he had for his wife was almost palpable...would love to meet the author and his lovely wife.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good Nam story. Highly recommended.

I like the evolution of young soldier coming out of man. The overall respect he had for his fellow soldiers is awesome. Hats off to Michael Driggs for doing a great job.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story

Great story of one man's time in Vietnam. I am a better person for listening to his story

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The real deal

As a veteran of Vietnam, I found the story very, very insightful and realistic. Although I was not out in the bush as were many, I did see Many of the horrors that this book spoke to. Vietnam as with this author makes a man out of a boy. It’s just such a pity that’s so many men did not come back. This was a great book.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very good story

I would definitely recommend this book. I enjoyed listening to the narrator. The book is awesome. Thank you for your service

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great read that leaves you wanting more

What a great listen this book is. I have always wanted to hear tunnel rat stories, this book surprised me by having some. Narrator is perfect to listen to and the stories are intriguing and keep your attention. This is not a war story book, this is the life of a young soldier that happened to be in a lot of action in Vietnam.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful

Beautifully written and beautifully told. Personal, intimate, loving, engaging, and heart warming. A wonderful human connection

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